Who, then, was Caleb?
We know that he was the son of Jephunneh (Numbers 13:6) who was a Kennizite (Joshua 14:6). Jephunneh’s name means: for whom a way is prepared, nimble, or a beholder
The Kennizites were among the original inhabitants of Canaan in Abraham’s day (Genesis 15:19) Kenaz was also listed as a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:15) and so an Edomite.
From Smith’s Bible Dictionary we have this: Father of Caleb the spy, appears to have belonged to an Edomitish tribe called Kenezites, from Kenaz their founder.
There were provisions for a Gentile to be included in Israel as were clearly spelt out in the regulations for Passover (Exodus 12: 48, 49). In this Exodus passage it is written: "If an alien who resides with you wants to observe the Passover to the lord, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may come near to observe it. He is to be like a native of the land, but no uncircumcised person is to eat it. A single law exists for the native and the alien who resides among you." (Exodus 12:48, 49 ISV) Some consider Kenizzites as an Edomite tribe, in which case Caleb would be a descendent of Jacob´s brother Esau.
But many view Caleb as a true Israelite by birth, since he is associated with and represented the tribe of Judah as one of the 12 spies. Jephunneh could have descended from some member of the non-Israelite Kenizzites (Ge 15:18, 19) who associated with the descendants of Jacob (Israel), marrying an Israelite wife. Perhaps the name Kenizzite in his case derives from some ancestral Judean family head named Kenaz, even as Caleb’s brother was so named (Joshua 15:17; Judges 1:13; 1 Chronicles 4:13).
The Kennizites were among the original inhabitants of Canaan in Abraham’s day (Genesis 15:19) Kenaz was also listed as a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:15) and so an Edomite.
From Smith’s Bible Dictionary we have this: Father of Caleb the spy, appears to have belonged to an Edomitish tribe called Kenezites, from Kenaz their founder.
Caleb, son of Jephunneh, first
mentioned in Numbers 13:6 is not to be confused with Caleb, great-grandson of Judah through Tamar (1 Chronicles 2:3-9). This other Caleb
was the son of Hezron, and his wife was Azubah (I Chronicles 2:18, 19).
Caleb the spy is the son of
Jephunneh. Jephunneh is called a Kenizzite (Numbers 32:12, Joshua 14:6, 14). The Kenizzites are
listed (Genesis 15:19) as one of the nations who lived in the land of Canaan,
at the time that God covenanted with Abram (Abraham) to give that land to his
descendants forever (Genesis 17:8). However, Caleb is mentioned among the
descendants of Judah recorded in 1 Chronicles 4: "And the sons of Caleb
the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz (1
Chronicles 4:15). Thus Caleb seems to have been recognized as a leader of the
tribe of Judah.
There were provisions for a Gentile to be included in Israel as were clearly spelt out in the regulations for Passover (Exodus 12: 48, 49). In this Exodus passage it is written: "If an alien who resides with you wants to observe the Passover to the lord, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may come near to observe it. He is to be like a native of the land, but no uncircumcised person is to eat it. A single law exists for the native and the alien who resides among you." (Exodus 12:48, 49 ISV) Some consider Kenizzites as an Edomite tribe, in which case Caleb would be a descendent of Jacob´s brother Esau.
But many view Caleb as a true Israelite by birth, since he is associated with and represented the tribe of Judah as one of the 12 spies. Jephunneh could have descended from some member of the non-Israelite Kenizzites (Ge 15:18, 19) who associated with the descendants of Jacob (Israel), marrying an Israelite wife. Perhaps the name Kenizzite in his case derives from some ancestral Judean family head named Kenaz, even as Caleb’s brother was so named (Joshua 15:17; Judges 1:13; 1 Chronicles 4:13).
So, in all reality there is no conclusive evidence that
Jephunneh was or was not an Edomite, a
member of the ancient tribe of Kennizites that inhabited Canaan during
Abraham’s sojourn there, or (more likely), simply the head of the family of KENAZ, tribe of Judah. There is much conjecture while at the same time the
admission, amongst scholars, of some confusion concerning the Hebrew
genealogies. Suffice it to say that Caleb, Jephunneh’s son, was a ruler and a prince
of the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:2).
We also know of a certainty that Caleb, whose name means “dog”,
was a man who “wholly followed the Lord” (Numbers 32:12).
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